We reside during a remarkable time, an age when humanity is about to cross a threshold. We are about to leave the nest and meet alien life. This blog is dedicated to the science of astrobiology: understanding space, the field of our search; exploring the one example we have of life and its abode, our Earth; reaching for the stars; imagining what extraterrestrial life may be like; and encouraging science education. Please join me for daily updates on the ultimate human adventure.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

One in four stars may host Earth-sized planets and ‘power stations’ for developing complex alien life

Welcome! "Alien Life" tracks the latest discoveries and thoughts in the various elements of the famous Drake Equation. Here's today's news:gStars - Nearly one in four stars similar to the sun may host planets as small as Earth, according to a new study funded by NASA and the University of California. See article.gAbodes - A huge alien planet discovered in a system with two suns akin to the fictional "Star Wars" world of Tatooine is forcing astronomers to rethink their theories about how gas giant planets form. See article.gLife - A team of scientists have determined that the evolution of mitochondria - not the cell nucleus - was fundamental to the development of complex life on Earth. The team believes that the energy provided by these cellular “power stations” could even be required for complex life to evolve on alien worlds. See article.gCosmicus - Space shuttle Discovery will bring NASA scientists one step closer to helping astronauts and the public discover ways to battle and prevent serious illness and infection. See article.gLearning - Book alert: “The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way”, by Joy Hakim, is the first in a six-volume series aimed at getting young adults interested in science. See review.

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About Me

I'm the owner and chief editor at Inventing Reality Editing Service, which meets the editing and proofreading needs of writers both new and published. For more than two decades, I worked as an award-winning journalist, with half of those years spent as an editor. Several of my short stories in the literary and science fiction genres have been published, and I am the author of the nonfiction “Hikes with Tykes” series, a novel "Windmill", and a collection of poetry, "Love Letters to Sophie's Mom". For seven years I worked as an English teacher or a community college journalism instructor. I hold a master's degree in English and a bachelor's in journalism and English.